Author Archives: mmckenz11

About mmckenz11

IT Officer for London School of Osteopathy and a Carer representative for Maudsley. As you can see, I have many interests shown off my blog. I hope to keep it updated with posts and more things to come soon.

Help Shape Research on the Experiences of South Asian Families Caring for a Loved One with Disabilities

The FOCUS Project, an international research study exploring the experiences of South Asian families who have a family member with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Researchers are seeking to hear from:

South Asian parents and family carers
Adult brothers and sisters of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Professionals who work with South Asian families and children with disabilities
Families interested in sharing their experiences through surveys and discussion groups

The study aims to improve understanding of the challenges, strengths, and support needs of South Asian families, helping to inform future services and policies.

Ways to Get Involved

Work Package 1 – Family Survey
Take part in an anonymous online survey exploring family experiences. Each section takes approximately 10–15 minutes, and participants can complete one, two, or all three parts.

Work Package 2 – Professional Survey
Professionals working with children and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities from South Asian backgrounds are invited to share their views on family-oriented partnership practices.

Work Package 3 – Online Discussion Groups
South Asian parents and adult siblings are invited to join a small online discussion group lasting around one hour to share their experiences in more depth.

Your Voice Matters

Every family’s experience is unique. By taking part, you can help researchers better understand the realities of caring for a loved one with intellectual and developmental disabilities and contribute to improving support for future generations.

For more information about the FOCUS Project, please visit the study website or contact the research team at focus.project@uea.ac.uk.

To hear more about the project, they will present at my National ethnic mental health carers forum for the 26th of June. Book via my forum page.

My Anger Without Permission: PCREF Poetry and the Voices of Unpaid Carers

Poetry has a unique ability to capture experiences that are often absent from reports, datasets, and meeting minutes. My Anger Without Permission explores the emotional reality of being an ethnic minority unpaid carer navigating mental health services while experiencing exclusion, microaggressions, invisibility, and a lack of recognition.

These themes are closely connected to the aims of the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), NHS England’s anti-racism framework for mental health services, which seeks to improve access, experience, and outcomes for racialised communities by ensuring that patients and carers are listened to, involved, and able to influence change.

Central to PCREF is the belief that lived experience should shape services, and poetry provides a powerful way for carers to share those experiences in their own words.

My poem also highlights why unpaid carers must be visible within conversations about race equality and mental health. Many carers from ethnic minority communities provide significant emotional and practical support while feeling overlooked by the very systems they help sustain. By sharing stories through poetry, carers can challenge assumptions, increase understanding, and contribute to more culturally responsive services.

To help amplify these voices, submissions are now being invited for Unpaid, Unseen and Yet Unbroken, a forthcoming poetry collection edited by Matthew McKenzie FRSA BEM. The anthology will showcase poems from minority ethnic unpaid carers, creating a lasting record of their experiences, resilience, hopes, and challenges.

If you are an unpaid carer with a story to tell, this is an opportunity to have your voice heard, published, and become part of a growing movement for equity, recognition, and change within mental health services.

Carers Week 2026 Round-Up

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer, Campaigner, Author and Speaker

5 June 2026 – Supporting Kent County Council’s Carer Awareness Campaign

Although not officially part of Carers Week, my activities with Kent County Council formed an important part of my ongoing commitment to raising awareness of unpaid carers. I supported the county’s long-term carer awareness campaign by taking part in filming designed to help train council staff to better recognise and support carers.

I also discussed future opportunities to speak at Kent County Council carer groups and continued promoting my own support groups across the county. It was encouraging to see local government investing in carer awareness and recognising the importance of ensuring carers are identified, valued and supported within their communities.

9 June 2026 – Developed Video promotion for Carers Week 2026

I did my bit to raise awareness of Carers Week 2026 via a video I developed, which you can see below.

8 June 2026 – Carers Week Stall at St George’s University Hospital

Carers Week officially began with a rewarding day at St George’s University Hospital, where I hosted a Carers UK information stall. The event provided an opportunity to engage directly with unpaid carers, patients, hospital staff and visitors, sharing information about the support available to carers both locally and nationally.

Continue reading →

East Sussex Carers Voices – Celebrating Carers Week 2026

East Dean Village Hall – 11 June 2026

Written by Matthew McKenzie, Speaker, Carer, Campaigner and Poet

As part of Carers Week 2026, I had the privilege of travelling to East Dean in East Sussex to speak at the East Sussex Carers Voices – Celebrating Carers Week Event, organised by Care for the Carers. The event brought together unpaid carers, carers’ organisations, NHS representatives, local authority leaders, health professionals, community groups and carers from across East Sussex to discuss the realities of caring and identify ways to improve support for unpaid carers.

The event was hosted by Dr Neil Churchill, Chair of Care for the Carers, who guided the day’s discussions and emphasised the vital role carers play in society. Throughout the day, carers shared their personal stories, experiences and recommendations directly with decision-makers and service providers.

Continue reading →

Have You Supported Someone Through Mental Health Care? We Want to Hear From You

If you have cared for, supported, or helped someone navigate mental health services, your experience matters.

Researchers are seeking carers to share their perspectives as part of a project exploring how people make decisions about mental health treatment together. The insights gathered will help shape a research funding application focused on understanding how service users, carers, and clinicians can work collaboratively when making decisions about care and treatment.

Use your Carers’ Voice

Carers often play a vital role in supporting loved ones through mental health challenges. You may have helped someone:

Understand treatment options
Attend appointments
Manage medication and care plans
Communicate with healthcare professionals
Make important decisions during difficult times

Your experiences can provide valuable insights into what works well, what could be improved, and how mental health services can better support collaborative decision-making.

Who Can Take Part?

We are looking for people who have supported someone through mental health care.

We are particularly keen to hear from carers from minoritised and under-represented communities, whose perspectives are often missing from research but are essential to ensuring services meet the needs of everyone.

What’s Involved?

Participants will be invited to take part in an online discussion via Microsoft Teams.

Dates: 15–19 June
Format: Microsoft Teams
Time commitment: Up to 2 hours
Payment: £27.50 per hour (NIHR public involvement rate)

Make a Difference Through Your Experience

By sharing your views, you can help influence future research and contribute to improving how mental health treatment decisions are made between service users, carers, and clinicians.

Every experience is valuable, and your contribution could help shape better mental health care for individuals and families in the future.

Interested?

tinyurl.com/5f83xea5

Thank you for considering taking part and helping ensure carers’ voices are heard.

Carers Week Celebration 2026: A Day of Recognition, Reflection and Resilience

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer, Author, Poet and Host of the Carers UK Information Stall
10 June 2026, Perceval House, Ealing

As a carer myself, supporting both of my brothers, I understand that caring is often a role we never planned for, yet one we embrace out of love, duty and commitment. It can be rewarding, but it can also be isolating, exhausting and overwhelming. That is why events such as the Carers Week Celebration 2026, organised by Ealing Carers Partnership, Ealing Carers Hub and Ealing Council, are so important.

I think it reminds us that carers matter, that our voices are heard and that we are not alone.

Having the privilege of hosting the Carers UK information stall, while also attending as a carer, poet and author, I witnessed first-hand the incredible sense of community that filled Perceval House throughout the day.

The event brought together carers, professionals, charities, community organisations and council representatives for a celebration that was both informative and inspiring. Alongside the opportunity to gather information and advice, carers enjoyed complimentary refreshments, free manicures from students of Uxbridge College, artwork exhibitions and the chance to connect with others who truly understand the caring journey.

Continue reading →

Carers Week 2026: Building Carer Friendly Communities and Supporting Unpaid Carers Across the UK

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer Ambassador

For Carers Week 2026, it takes place from 8–14 June and shines a spotlight on the millions of unpaid carers who provide essential care and support to family members, friends and loved ones throughout the UK.

This year’s theme, Building Carer Friendly Communities, highlights the need for workplaces, healthcare services, schools, local authorities and communities to better recognise and support unpaid carers.

Despite contributing billions of pounds worth of care each year, many unpaid carers continue to face challenges including financial hardship, social isolation, poor mental health and difficulties accessing support. So Carers Week aims to raise awareness of these issues while encouraging practical action to create a society where carers are valued, respected and included.

As a carer activist and founder of my site A Caring Mind, I am sure that creating carer-friendly communities starts with understanding the realities of caring. Whether you are caring for an ageing parent, a disabled child, a partner with a long-term condition or someone experiencing mental ill health, carers play a vital role in keeping families and communities together.

However, there are still many people do not identify themselves as carers and therefore miss out on important support, benefits and services. Carers Week 2026 provides an opportunity for individuals, organisations and policymakers to listen to carers’ experiences, champion carers’ rights and improve access to support for unpaid carers across the UK.

Watch my Carers Week 2026 video below to learn more about the campaign, this year’s theme and how you can get involved in supporting unpaid carers. Please share the video to help raise awareness and encourage more people to recognise the invaluable contribution that carers make every single day.

Together, we can build stronger, more inclusive and more carer-friendly communities

Volunteers’ Week 2026 UK – The Power of Volunteering and Caring

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer UK ambassador and volunteer

As proud volunteer with Carers UK and Carers Trust, and alongside healthcare teams in hospitals supporting unpaid carers and families. I want to take a moment to recognise the incredible contribution volunteers make every single day.

As we celebrate Volunteers’ Week 2026, across our communities, volunteers give their time, skills, compassion, and energy to help others, often without seeking recognition. Their impact is immeasurable.

For me, volunteering is about making a difference, no matter how small. Sometimes it is providing information and advice to a carer who feels overwhelmed. Sometimes it is speaking up for those whose voices are not being heard. Sometimes it is simply listening. These acts of kindness can change lives.

As carers, many of us already give so much of ourselves to support loved ones. Yet volunteering can also be a powerful way to create change, build connections, and strengthen our communities. It reminds us that we are not alone and that together we can make a positive impact.

Advancing Race Equity Across London’s Mental Health Trusts

On Wednesday 3 June 2026, colleagues from all eight London Mental Health Trusts, alongside carers, service users, community organisations, researchers, regulators and system leaders, gathered at ISH Venues in central London for the Pan London Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) Conference.

Chaired by Erica deti from North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), the conference provided a unique opportunity to showcase progress, share learning and strengthen London’s collective commitment to race equity within mental health services.

Continue reading →

Speaking on BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave: Caring, Community and Hope

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer advocate

I recently had the privilege of appearing on BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave to discuss my experiences as a Black mental health carer and long-standing volunteer at Carers UK, plus my groups supporting unpaid mental health carers.

My long standaing friend and carer peer Jo Lambert who specialises in hope and mental health accompanied me to the BBC studios

The programme focused on the realities of caring, the challenges many families face, and the importance of community support.

As someone who has supported family members with severe mental health needs and autism, I spoke about how I never initially saw myself as a carer. Like many people, I simply did what I felt was my duty as a son and brother. It was only later that I learned about the term “unpaid carer” and the support available through carers organisations and local carers centres.

During the discussion, I reflected on some of the challenges faced by Black carers, particularly Black male carers, who may feel pressure to remain strong and avoid speaking openly about their own mental health struggles. I shared how peer support groups, creativity and poetry helped me manage difficult emotions and find hope during challenging times.

I also spoke about the importance of identifying as a carer and seeking support early. Many people provide care out of love and responsibility without realising that help is available. Through my volunteering with Carers UK and work within hospitals and community settings, I continue to encourage carers to access support, connect with others and recognise that looking after themselves is just as important as caring for others.

I also read a poem from one of my books “Telling your story as a mental health carer”, you can view the poem below.

One of the strongest messages from the programme was that caring is about community. Whether through carers centres, voluntary organisations, healthcare services or local networks, nobody should have to face caring responsibilities alone.

I would like to thank Richie Brave and the BBC Radio 1Xtra team for creating space for these important conversations and for highlighting the voices and experiences of unpaid carers.

You can listen to the programme here:

BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave – Caring Matters

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002wtcr?